fitted 5mm spacers was it a good idea???

[MURRAYS444]

I fitted some spacers to the rear wheels today as they sit very close to the vast amount of suspension and I was worrying about the wheels rubbing as I am running 18" RSTT wheels with tyres that are 235 40 18 I never got any extending bolts with the spacers should I order them?

 

[Bradderz_1988]

Any pics ?? What brakes you running on the rear ??

I may have to use a 5mm spacer when i fit my S4 facelift 300mm brakes with my 17" ET 35 boleros and was wandering if id need longer bolts too.

Iirc they have to have either 5? or 8? threads in the hub to be ok ??

 

[MURRAYS444]

Running standard breaks i'll get some photos up tomorrow, I read on another thread about using spacers and normal bolts causes mores stress on them and that in extreme cases the bolts can sheer!

 

[PaulJC84]

It will be fine on the standard bolts.

 

[aragorn]

It WILL NOT be fine on the standard bolts.

The hub flange and bolt interface is only 6 threads wide, and there are no "spare" threads on the bolt.

6 threads is 10mm.

With a 5mm spacer, you've reduced thread engagement to 3 threads, which is ****ing dangerous.

Longer bolts must be used with ANY wheel spacer. If you dont, and you're lucky, you'll simply strip the threads when torquing them. If your unlucky, you'll strip the threads at 80mph and kill someone.

I would also personally only recommend using hubcentric spacers, and this means a minimum of 10mm. Thinner spacers often mean the spigot centering ring on the wheel is not engaged with the hub any more, which can cause vibrations and increases bolt loading even further.

 

[PaulJC84]

I only have ever used longer bolts with anything over 5mm and have been lucky enough so far. My fronts have had 5mm ones on with a few different wheels and never had any vibration issues and the wheel still sits on the hub. They are hubcentric ones however that locate onto the hub.

The rears I have always had either 15/20/25mm ones which have required longer bolts. Unless they have been bolt to hub type.

 

[Bradderz_1988]

What is the bolt type for our cars just so i no if it comes to spacers when i do the rear brakes !!

 

[MURRAYS444]

With that info I'm going to order some longer bolts here's some photos of how the rear wheels look now

 

[MURRAYS444]

Got new bolts for the rears got them from ebay here is how they look compared to the standard bolts

 

[olds_kool]

Are they oem wheels if so they need radius seat bolts like the old ones not taper seat like your new ones

 

[aragorn]

As above.

if they're genuine Audi "RSTT" wheels, they will need radius seat bolts.

If they are aftermarket/replicas, they will most likely use taper seat bolts.

 

[Av4nt]

I only have ever used longer bolts with anything over 5mm and have been lucky enough so far. My fronts have had 5mm ones on with a few different wheels and never had any vibration issues and the wheel still sits on the hub. They are hubcentric ones however that locate onto the hub.

The rears I have always had either 15/20/25mm ones which have required longer bolts. Unless they have been bolt to hub type.

Balancing luck on 3mm of thread at 80mph doesnt sound fun to me in the slightest...

 

[aragorn]

Balancing luck on 3mm of thread at 80mph doesnt sound fun to me in the slightest...

Yeh, i think the issue is folk dont realise nor think to check, they just look at the size of a wheel bolt and think "5mm isnt going to make a difference"

I came across the issue a couple years ago, when installing some different rear calipers to the wifes motor. The calipers caught on the wheels, so i measured up, went to halfords and bought some 5mm spacers and bolted the wheel on. However something niggled me about it, so i went and fetched a spare upright and brake disk, and bolted the wheel up to the upright on the floor and had a look at the bolt holes and realised there was only half the thread engagement there should be. Removed the spacer and reassembled and the bolts end flush with the back of the hub.

You'll get away with a little bit of spacing on the rear of a front wheel drive A4, because theres no brake disk in between the wheel and hub, but on the front, and on quattro rears they really are only just long enough as standard.

 

[MURRAYS444]

Sh*t I have genuine RSTT's anyone got any links to where I could get the proper bolts thanks

 

[aragorn]

Plenty on ebay, just search for "radius wheel bolt audi" on ebay.

I think the stock bolts are 27mm, so you want around 32-35mm ones i guess.

 

[MURRAYS444]

Thanks again Aragorn found some on ebay:thumbsup: